PONTIAC — A Canadian company was selected to purchase
the Pontiac Silverdome for $583,000 and may use the facility for professional
soccer, according to The Detroit News. The company and the city have until the
end of 2009 to close the deal.

Emergency Financial Manager Fred Leeb contracted with
a professional real estate auction firm to sell the Silverdome, Pontiac's
80,300-seat arena. The facility has largely sat empty since the Detroit Lions
relocated to Ford Field in 2002.

Williams & Williams received four bids for the
facility and all of its lands.

A previous deal to sell the Silverdome for use as a
multi-use entertainment complex collapsed last year after its buyer did not
make payment. Ongoing negotiations proved fruitless, and Leeb decided to hold
an auction, according to The Oakland Press.

In this attempt, city officials will not select
vendors based on the appeal of proposed projects, but will simply sell the
facility to the highest bidder. Interested parties must make a $250,000 deposit
in order to be considered, and the deadline to make an offer is November 12th.
The city has the option to invite the highest five bidders to a "best and
final" outcry auction to be held in the week following the deadline, according
to the auction group's web site.